


and i could hear you talkin'

by hipboned



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, SO, harry and louis aren't in it because i can't write them without them being madly in love, i wrote this like six months ago and am just posting it now, so i guess this is a uni!AU, that's why liam's hair is short in it, there's no actual payzer, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-13
Updated: 2013-07-13
Packaged: 2017-12-19 08:05:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/881445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hipboned/pseuds/hipboned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam’s got the sort of attractive face just friendly enough to dream on, and Zayn does. He can already see the images in his head: the subtle sway of a swing set under the small weight of Liam and Zayn at age five, deep footprints in sand as Liam runs away from Zayn and toward the ocean on summer break from secondary school, the crinkling of Liam’s eyes in laughter at something Zayn had said. They come in flashes and last just a second or two each before they disappear and Zayn can’t remember them anymore, because they weren’t real memories to begin with.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Zayn and Liam are confused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and i could hear you talkin'

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wrote this. Let me know what you think! Hope it's alright. Un-beta'd (I did read it over like twelve thousand times though), so let me know if you find any obvious mistakes.
> 
> Also, I obviously don't own or control One Direction and this is all fictional. You know, if that wasn't obvious from the presence of university.

            The first time Zayn sees Liam, Liam doesn’t see him.

Zayn is just wading his way through another day at university, on his way back to the dorm room he shares with Niall, who is probably already eating his second lunch of the day even though it’s barely the afternoon. “Too good of a meal to have just once a day,” the blond boy would undoubtedly say.

But anyway, Zayn is looking straight ahead as he walks. It’s a nice day, the clouds are positioned in just a way that they softly filter the light from the sun without blocking it. The dark-haired boy is just minding his own business on his way back from his Modern Literature lecture when his thoughts are slightly interrupted.

There’s another boy walking in the opposite direction. He’s all smooth skin and round features, and his brown hair is shaved close to his head. He smiles, not at Zayn, but at something behind him, and his dark pink lips pull back to reveal a row of white teeth. He’s stunning.

And it becomes more than just a slight interruption to Zayn’s stride when the boy passes close enough for Zayn to get a good look at his eyes. They’re dark chestnut with just the slightest hint of hazel, radiating with some kind of brilliance behind them. Zayn is stopped in his tracks.

Then said boy is past, and when he’s gone from the darker-skinned boy’s immediate line of vision, Zayn wonders if he shouldn’t turn around and follow him. No, that’s creepy. He can’t do that.

But when he hears a smooth, open, and mild “Hello!” sound from behind him, Zayn wheels around anyway, because he has to at least see who the beautiful boy is greeting.

He’s met with the sight of a girl, dark tan skin and brown hair that’s highlighted blonde in some places. She’s pretty, Zayn supposes, in a normal sort of way. “Hi Liam!” she says, smiling brightly and wrapping the boy in a hug. Hmm. Liam, then. It’s a nice name, and Zayn feels the letters begin to form quietly on his lips as he watches.

Liam’s got the sort of attractive face just friendly enough to dream on, and Zayn does. He can already see the images in his head: the subtle sway of a swing set under the small weight of Liam and Zayn at age five, deep footprints in sand as Liam runs away from Zayn and toward the ocean on summer break from secondary school, the crinkling of Liam’s eyes in laughter at something Zayn had said. They come in flashes and last just a second or two each before they disappear and Zayn can’t remember them anymore, because they weren’t real memories to begin with.

It’s then that Zayn really registers the girl that Liam’s hugging (the real Liam in front of him, not the one from his fleeting daydreams), and he takes notice of just how tightly the boy squeezes her and how her hands linger when she withdraws from the embrace.

Zayn finally turns around and continues his walk back to his dorm. He’s not bothered that this new boy seems to have a girlfriend. It’s only a boy.

A few days later, Zayn’s in line at the university coffee shop when Liam makes a reappearance.

Zayn is ordering for himself and struggling to remember what Niall had wanted ( _“get me a gingerbread latte, with no coffee—no, I want a mocha ice blended drink, no coffee—wait, I changed my mind, I want a vanilla iced coffee….without the coffee part.”_ ) when the door opens and in walks the girl Zayn had seen Liam with just the other day. She’s alone and gets in line behind him as he finishes ordering Niall a hot chocolate.

She’s silent, but the dark-haired boy feels her presence behind him nervously. He reminds himself that it doesn’t matter, because she’s just there and he doesn’t have to talk to her or anything.

And he doesn’t technically have to—that is, until he turns around with a jerky motion and she’s much closer than he’d thought and he spills his coffee all down the front of her shirt.

Zayn’s mouth falls open and his eyes widen. He desperately tries to get words out. “Fuck, I! I’m sorry, I—okay, I’m an idiot,” he rambles.

She looks down at herself and chuckles lightly. “That’s alright, s’just coffee. It’s no problem!”

Zayn stares at the huge stain and shakes his head. “Are you sure? Here, let me go get you napkins.”

He turns and pulls a handful out of a dispenser on the counter and then follows her when she goes to put her things down at a table. Zayn hands them to the girl and she takes them with a smile, sitting down and wiping at her shirt with them. “Don’t be worried about it at all,” she says, “as long as you pay for my dry cleaning.” Then a wink.

Zayn laughs. “I really will, though…”

“Danielle,” she jumps in.

“Zayn,” the dark-haired boy replies.

“Well then, Zayn, it’s nice to meet you, though it’s maybe not the best circumstance.” Danielle smiles at him and he tries hard (okay, maybe not so hard because she has a kind smile) to dislike her. This is Liam’s girlfriend he’s dealing with. And although Zayn hasn’t seen Liam since the first time a couple days earlier, he hasn’t forgotten what it felt like.

He and Danielle make small talk about what they’re studying at university and the weather, and it’s only a few minutes until the coffee shop door opens with a little gust. Danielle’s eyes light up at something over Zayn’s shoulder, and he turns around to get a look at what it is.

He’s there, of course. Liam’s stood there looking at them, looking at _him_ , this time. The slight quirk of his head indicates his confusion. “Danielle?” he asks, but he’s still looking at Zayn, who can feel his skin heat under the scrutiny.

“Hey Liam,” Danielle responds. “Fancy seeing you around. Me and Zayn here were just having a coffee date. Zayn snaps his head around just in time to watch Danielle raise an eyebrow teasingly. “Jealous?” she asks the standing boy.

And that’s it. The two of them are definitely dating, because _why else would she expect him to be jealous?_

Zayn swallows his disappointment as Liam stutters, “I…maybe.”

The girl taps her chin in mock thought. “Well, I suppose we wouldn’t mind some company, would we? Pull up a chair, then.”

Liam’s mouth opens and closes a few times, and it occurs to Zayn how odd it must be to be invited to join your girlfriend at what she has just termed a ‘date’ with a complete stranger. “Oh Liam, don’t stand about like an idiot. Come here,” Danielle insists, and Liam does. He pulls up a chair and sits down.

Danielle rests a gentle hand on Liam, fingers curving over his shoulder and elbow falling out of sight behind his back. It’s endearing, and Zayn tries to look away without being obvious. “Zayn, this is Liam,” the girl introduces. “He’s quite cute, if you hadn’t noticed.”

Zayn _had_ noticed, thanks very much. He’s still noticing, watching the boy’s incredible brown eyes go wide at Danielle’s comment. Zayn bites back a huff—he really isn’t in the mood to watch the couple fawn over each other.

“Dani,” Liam chides as if scandalized. Danielle just giggles a bit and drops her arm from his shoulder.

“Alright, alright,” she says. “I won’t.”

Zayn laughs lightly, trying to be part of the whole thing, but he really only feels like he doesn’t belong, like he’s missing pieces of the conversation. He figures that he just doesn’t understand their couple-speak. He also feels the growing sense that he should leave.

Liam bites his lip and looks right at Zayn again. “So, Zayn,” he starts, but then Zayn’s throat is tightening at the acknowledgement and _he has to get out of there_ and his phone is ringing and he recognizes Niall’s ringtone. Without breaking eye contact with Liam, the darker boy pulls the phone out of his pocket and answers it. He doesn’t stop to consider that it might be a rude thing to do.

“Hey,” Zayn says into the phone.

“Hey,” Niall grumbles. “You’ve been gone for like _hours_.”

Zayn rolls his eyes affectionately at the exaggeration and says, “yeah, I’ll be right back.” With that, he hangs up and shoves the phone firmly back where it came from. “Sorry guys, I really have to go. But I’ll see you around, I guess.”

He ignores Liam’s (rather pretty) frown and focuses on Danielle as she says, “well, I won’t rely on coincidence. Here, put your number in.” Then her phone is being handed to him, and Zayn doesn’t know what else he can do but accommodate her request. He gives it back to her with his name and phone number newly added to her contacts. “See you later Zayn!” she grins brightly.

“Uh, yeah,” Liam adds. “S-See you later, Zayn.”

Zayn tries to smile at Liam, but it’s feeble at best. It’s apparent that Liam’s uncomfortable in his presence, and he really doesn’t want to be the cause of any discomfort on Liam’s part. He takes one last regretful glance at the other boy’s smooth skin, dark lips, and strong eyebrows, and then leaves the coffee shop.

Zayn tries not to think about Liam on his way back, because he knows the impossibility of it all will only depress him. He doesn’t succeed very much, though, and after a bit he just allows Liam’s face to crowd his mind.

In fact, he’s so preoccupied with his thoughts that he doesn’t realize that he didn’t bring Niall his hot chocolate until he opens his door and is met with his roommate’s bewildered gaze, glued to his empty hands. “Oh…sorry,” he apologizes lamely, offering no explanation.

“Jesus, mate,” Niall shakes his head. “What’dja, give it away to some random stranger?”

“Not quite,” is all Zayn says.

 

 

It’s that weekend when Zayn receives a text from Danielle.

_Hey it’s dani, come hang out with li and me tonight_ it says.

Zayn is distracted by her use of Liam’s nickname, so it isn’t until a good few minutes of staring at the text message that he realizes that Danielle is really inviting him to thirdwheel her relationship. And who would want to do that? There are plenty of other things Zayn can do to pass the night. He’s got some coursework to catch up on, and if Niall’s not going out then he’ll want to order food in and play FIFA with Zayn. So he has every valid reason to say no to Danielle.

But then he remembers the way Liam had looked at him curiously in the coffee shop, the way he had bitten his lip when Zayn got up to leave. He tries to also remember how Danielle had draped her arm over Liam affectionately, but that image isn’t as clear, so maybe Zayn had been being dramatic, and maybe a similar action would be easier to ignore this time.

So he replies, _sounds good. what’s the plan?_

 

That night, Zayn, Danielle, and Liam go to a party.

It’s not _too_ big of an event, just a lot of students crammed into a large apartment-style on-campus residence. There’s alcohol and some weed to go around. The speakers are blasting some sort of indie rap music for white people into the dark room. Zayn wonders if the fact that he knows the song that’s playing makes him cooler or more pretentious. This sort of thing isn’t really his scene, and he guesses that Danielle can tell, because she guides him by the hand into the midst of the party. Zayn looks back at Liam, who trails slightly behind them. He figures he can’t get caught staring—Liam is too focused on the other boy’s fingers clasped in Danielle’s.

She lets go of Zayn’s hand as soon as they’ve effectively entered and she spots a couple of her friends. She waves and starts to head toward them, leaving the boys to shrug at each other and follow her over.

“Perrie!” Danielle says excitedly. “You know Liam, obviously, but this is Zayn.”

A girl with lavender hair and a pretty smile looks at Zayn. “Hi,” she grins. “I’m Perrie. Do you know Jade and Josh?” She gestures at the other people beside her, a boy with short brown hair and a girl with tan skin and a delicate face.  Zayn starts to introduce himself, but Danielle stops him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, there’s no need for that, Zayn. The girls and I are going to have a little bit of a private discussion right now if you don’t mind? Girl talk, you know how it is,” she tells him.

Josh frowns and scrunches his eyebrows. “But I’m not—“

Danielle claps her hands and looks at him pointedly. He drops it.

“Liam,” she suggests, “why don’t you and Zayn go grab a drink? I’ll see you in a few.” Liam narrows his eyes at her in a confused manner. She smiles excitedly and turns away, engaging in a conversation with her friends and prompting Liam and Zayn to fend for themselves.

Liam clears his throat. “So do you want a beer?” he asks with a sheepish smile. It’s little, but Zayn thinks that it suits him and he tries not to tell the lighter-skinned boy just that. Liam’s clearly got his own world here, a girlfriend and friends. There’s no room or need for Zayn to be in it. However, maybe a little liquid courage would do to get him through the night without completely alienating himself.

“A beer would be great right now,” Zayn responds. The other boy nods and beckons for Zayn to follow him as he makes his way toward the drinks.

“So,” Liam says, “what are you majoring in?”

Zayn replies with, “English.” Before he has time to wonder whether he should leave it at that and reverse the question or babble about it for a little bit, his mouth has chosen the second option for him. “I want to be a teacher eventually. You know, it’s a stable career option.”

Liam raises his eyebrows a bit, a tiny frown finding its place on his mouth. “As opposed to what?” They reach a cooler and he fishes out a beer for each of them. Zayn blinks at the hand that offers him one before he reaches out to accept it. Liam’s got quite nice hands. Large, but they look soft.

“Erm,” Zayn responds. Does Liam really care to know about his adolescent daydreams? On one hand, he probably doesn’t. But on the other, Zayn can’t really think of an untruthful answer on the spot. “As opposed to singing. I wanted to sing when I was younger.”

“Oh yeah?” Liam laughs and cracks his beer open. Zayn does the same. “Me too, actually. Thought I would be your usual teen pop star. What kind of music did you want to do?”

“Something like R&B, I guess. Maybe I’d throw some rap in there, and then a little bit of a mainstream vibe,” Zayn states, imagining it. “Yeah, there’d definitely be a Justin Timberlake feel to it.”

Liam’s lips break into a brilliant smile as the boys head back into the middle of the party. He has to raise his voice to say, “I love JT. He’s top notch.”

Zayn grins back. “Me too,” he responds, but he knows his voice doesn’t carry because Liam leans into him and tilts his head at the words. When he tries to repeat himself, though, Liam interrupts him hesitantly.

“D’you want to, um, maybe go outside and talk? It’s kind of stuffy and loud in here.” His pretty eyes shift down to focus on the beer in his hand, but they come back up to meet Zayn’s for just a quick second.

Zayn says, “Sure.”

So they leave the party, leave the building, and walk through the dark outside. It’s a slightly cold night, and Zayn can feel the crisp air between his fingers. It draws his attention to the available space that Liam’s fingers might just fit perfectly into. Of course, he doesn’t reach for the other boy’s hand, though. Of course. Instead, he lets their fingers gently bump together as they walk next to each other, and perhaps that’s even better in some way.

Liam doesn’t speak for awhile, and it occurs to Zayn that he might be a bit reserved. Hell, so is Zayn, but he’s willing to let that go if it has anything to do with the boy walking alongside him at that very moment. So while he’s not generally a conversation-starter, Zayn takes a breath and goes, “So since you’re not a singer, what are you going to be?”

He knows it sounds lame as soon as it’s out, and he’s silently cursing himself, but Liam gives a little chuckle and answers, “Some sort of nutritionist, I guess. I mean, that’s what I’m studying.”

“Nutrition?” Zayn asks with a lift of his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t have thought.” He takes yet another look at the cut muscles that characterize Liam’s body, and wonders if _nutrition_ had anything to do with their formulation. “Actually, maybe it’s apparent,” he admits.

He thinks that Liam’s cheeks might darken a bit at that statement, and wonders if he could’ve possibly picked up on what he meant. Does this count as flirting? Zayn’s done his fair share of flirting before, but with Liam it all seems different. It’s like there’s another dimension to everything that happens, a bonus even. If the corners of Liam’s mouth turn upwards, then so do Zayn’s. If Liam holds his gaze, Zayn can feel his blood buzzing.

They come to the edge of a fountain that’s shut off at this time of night and exchange a look. Liam nods, takes a seat on the half-wall, and puts his drink down on the ground. The structure works well enough as a bench, Zayn supposes. As he goes to sit down, he tries not to think too hard about the specific distance he should place himself from the other boy. He echoes Liam’s actions, setting his beer (which is already mostly empty, oops) by his foot.

He feels Liam’s knee against his, and it’s like all of his nerve endings have relocated to that exact spot. This time Liam speaks first. “Look, I’m sorry I was acting strange the other day. At the coffee shop.”

Zayn’s surprised at the statement, but he doesn’t let it flicker across his face. Liam’s eyes are already shifting uncomfortably, and the darker-haired boy doesn’t want to make him feel any more awkward than he clearly already does, for whatever reason that may be. “Nothing to apologize for. You weren’t acting weird at all.”

“Really?” Liam’s lower lip emerges after being bitten in a rather adorable expression. “I’m quite sure that I stuttered at you about six times.”

Zayn chuckles briefly at that before continuing, “No worries. I get that I make you uncomfortable, or something.” His smile fades. “I’m sorry that Danielle, like, pushed you out here with me.”

Liam’s eyes go wide. “Is that what you think? That you make me uncomfortable?”

“Well, yeah, I guess. Don’t worry about it.”

“No, but that’s not it at all!” he exclaims earnestly. “It’s just that you’ve got that kind of face, you know what I’m talking about? I mean, you must know. People must tell you all the time.”

“I don’t think they do, seeing as I’ve got absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. What kind of a face have I got?” Zayn squints in confusion as Liam blinks back at him. He seems a little bit in shock at this entire encounter.

“It’s just a really, really nice face. It just stays on your mind. I…I can’t really forget about it, to be honest.”

Zayn realizes the implication of what Liam’s just said, because his fingers start to tremble and he feels a warm knot develop in his chest, pulling all his organs together and giving them a good twist. Liam realizes too, he can tell, because he’s suddenly blushing and pulling at his trousers. Zayn’s not sure what to say—he wonders if _I don’t think I’ve thought of anything but you for an entire week_ is frightening, and if he should just leave it at _I guess you’re kind of attractive_. But in the end, he doesn’t say anything. He just keeps his eyes on Liam, intently searching for some kind of contact.

Liam fidgets and reddens and swallows. His bright brown irises flicker to and away from Zayn’s, not staying anywhere for long. But they always come back to find Zayn staring right at him unabashedly. It occurs to Zayn that this might go on for as long as he lets it, but then suddenly he’s being pushed backwards and feels cold water splash up around him, enveloping his body.

“What was that for?” he splutters when he surfaces from the fountain water, but he can’t even bring himself to be a little annoyed, because Liam’s in the fountain with him, clothes soaked through and eyelashes wet.

“You wouldn’t stop, like, looking into my soul!” Liam cries. He lifts up a hand and, shaking some water off of it, rakes it over his buzzed head, trying in vain to grasp at something.

“So you tackled me?” Zayn asks, laughing. The fountain isn’t deep at all. He crawls a bit closer to the other boy on his hands and knees.

“Yeah,” Liam responds, grinning now that he sees Zayn is. “Otherwise you might have seen all my secrets.” He sits back on his heels and looks at his hands in his lap.

Zayn lets a fond smile spread across his face as he crosses the rest of the short distance to Liam, kneeling as well in front of him. His left hand finds Liam’s and slips into his fingers, fitting delicately. “I think you might just let me know them yourself,” Zayn almost whispers, and then his finger is coming up under Liam’s chin and he’s leaning forward and Liam’s even doing the same.

When their lips slot together, Zayn’s eyes flutter all the way closed and he feels _yes_.

The best part is, Liam seems to agree, because he’s happy sighing into Zayn’s mouth as their first kiss melts into more, lips soft and insistent, coming together again and again. Zayn is just so glad, he’s so happy that he starts to smile so much that they’re barely kissing anymore because Zayn’s too busy smiling. Liam lets out a tiny whine and his hand comes to the back of Zayn’s neck, thumb brushing over his cheek. This effectively convinces Zayn to ditch the grinning and keep kissing him; there’ll be time to smile later. His tongue pokes out of his mouth and darts along Liam’s bottom lip.

And that’s when everything goes from _yes_ to _no, no, no, no, no_ because Liam’s mouth is gone and he’s standing up rapidly, palms pressing up at his eyebrows. He looks at nothing when he utters, “I can’t, to Danielle. It’s not fair. I…I’m going now.” He steps out of their fountain, and he goes.

Zayn sinks back into the water and squeezes his eyes shut tight. Danielle. He’d sure as hell forgotten about Liam’s girlfriend, of course. He’d just gone and kissed him, like an idiot with no regard for anyone else, and now he’s made everyone feel horrible. Liam’s obviously incredibly guilty, Danielle’s bound to be pissed off and hurt when she finds out. And really, Zayn’s hurting too, because he likes Liam, who’s fucking special. He wants Liam to not be mad at him. He wants Liam to like him more than Danielle and kiss him more, even though that would be wrong. Even though she was so nice to him.

But despite what Zayn feels, he knows that Liam’s long gone in the opposite direction of the party they’d left together, and Danielle’s still there and clueless. So he picks himself up and goes back. Just to see her, just to acknowledge her kindness before she never shows him any again.

 

 

When Zayn reenters the party, it’s starting to calm down.

It’s not too hard to find Danielle, clearly shitfaced and hanging off of Perrie, who’s obviously struggling with her. The purple-haired girl breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of Zayn, and drags Danielle over to him. “There you are,” she says, somewhat apologetically shoving Danielle into his arms. “She’s your friend, not mine, I swear.” She gives him a light smile. “Where’s Liam? Never mind, I’ve really got to get to bed. Good to meet you, though, Zayn!” She leaves with that.

Zayn calls a quick goodbye over his shoulder at Perrie and then readjusts his arms around Danielle, who’s laughing and starting to fall to the ground. When she’s upright, she smiles sloppily at Zayn, eyes half-closed, and drunkenly inquires, “Zayn, do you ever think about Liam?”

_yes I think about liam you dumb twat that’s so fucking cruel of you you little shit and I thought you were a nice person ha well why don’t you just tie your dumb boyfriend to a string and dangle him in front of my face and tug him away from me every time I get within inches because you guys are so happy together yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away now I need a place to hide away—_

“Well, yeah. I mean, I just kissed him, so yeah,” is what he says. He doesn’t exactly choose it, but it’s what comes out, so he’ll roll with it.

He waits for Danielle to get angry, to slap him across the face. She doesn’t, though. She just giggles, “oh, I’m _so_ glad you did that. I knew you two would be cute together.”

Zayn blinks. “What?”

Danielle presses her palms to Zayn’s cheeks and rubs vigorously. “He’s just such a little puppy and you’re such a big, bad, mysterious, quiet, moody, broody…booty…duty…” she loses her train of thought to the rhyme and laughs loudly.

“Erm,” Zayn clears his throat and takes a small step away from Danielle. “I thought he was your boyfriend, though?”

And she just loses all remaining composure at that. She snorts with laughter and hugs Zayn tight around the neck, pressing her uncontrollable snickers into his skin. “No way!” she chortles. “Me and Liam? Liam? Best buddies for years. Never my boyfriend. That’s _weird_.”

So now Zayn’s more confounded than he ever remembers being in the past. If Liam and Danielle have nothing romantic going on, then why did the short-haired boy run off muttering excuses about her just after breaking away from the best kiss Zayn’s ever had?

“Hey,” Danielle slurs suddenly, “you’re all wet.”

Zayn frowns at the wet spots on Danielle’s clothing from hugging him. “Sorry,” he apologizes. “Now let’s get you home.”

 

 

He needs someone else to figure it out for him.

It just doesn’t make any sense. Zayn meets Liam and Danielle, thinks they’re dating. Zayn develops unmanly crush on Liam, still thinks Liam and Danielle are dating. Zayn and Liam kind of make out a little bit (the most casual way to term it, Zayn thinks), Liam runs away, confirming Zayn’s theory about his relationship with Danielle. Danielle then blows holes in said theory.

Maybe Liam has some sort of unrequited love for her? That doesn’t add up either, though. He had looked so guilty. He wouldn’t be remorseful for kissing someone else if it was a one-sided thing.

So Zayn does what he normally (never) does. He asks Niall.

They’re at the lame university dining hall eating stale cereal in the middle of the night when he does it. It’s been a couple days since the party, and despite thinking of nothing else, Zayn hasn’t come to any valid conclusions. “Niall,” he begins through his Bran Flakes, “I need advice.”

“Alright then,” the blond-haired boy responds, not bothering to swallow before speaking. It’s nothing Zayn hasn’t seen before. “Go for it.”

“There’s this guy, Liam, right? Well, I made friends with him and this girl Danielle, who I thought was his girlfriend. But then Liam and I kind of kissed. And I might like him. Anyway, he took off immediately, saying that he couldn’t do that to Danielle…but Danielle says they’re not dating and never have been. And Liam seemed so freaked out that I don’t think he wants to talk to me. So, like. What do I do, I guess?”

Niall nods fervently like he’s completely prepared to handle the situation expertly. “I’d bet,” he tells Zayn, “he’s super Christian, and was scared you were going to touch his dick, so he made some shit up to get you to stop groping him.”

Zayn taps his foot. “I wasn’t gr—you know what? I honestly don’t think that’s the case.”

“Oh yeah?” Niall examines his spoon in the yellow light of the dull room. “What makes you so sure?”

“I just don’t really get that vibe from him. I get a very non-Christian vibe from him.”

Niall looks at Zayn and drops his spoon into his now empty bowl. He says, “Well, you also got a dating-Danielle vibe from him and clearly you were wrong there.”

He’s got a point, but still. He should’ve known better than to ask Niall for his opinion. He loves Niall to death, but the boy has some unique problems. “You’re probably right,” Zayn agrees just to appease him. “So what do I do?”

The Irishman shrugs and says, “You know what to do, man. You have to go talk to him. Ask him what the hell’s up with him.”

“I feel like he doesn’t want to talk to me, though. What if he just won’t?” Zayn worries.

Niall drums a little beat on the table. “You gotta make him. You at least deserve an explanation, I reckon.”

Zayn nods at this. “Yeah. But where do I even find him? Is it weird to like, text Danielle and ask her to ask him if we could talk? Or give me his number?”

“Nah, that’s weird mate. I think if it’s worth it at all, you’ll find him in no time.”

“What, just happen upon him?” Zayn’s really starting to worry for Niall’s well-being.

“’Course,” Niall insists, “like fate, or some shit. He’ll just show up.”

 

 

The next day, Liam just shows up.

Zayn is going to the library to work on a paper he’s got due soon. He figures the academics of it will distract him from his concerns about Liam. He knows he’s been thinking about the other boy way too much to be healthy.

In fact, Zayn’s mind is full of chocolate eyes and smooth skin when he recognizes that he’s passing the same fountain that he and Liam kissed in, working properly now in the daylight. He slows down and approaches it cautiously, vision fixing on the back of a boy who’s got short hair cropped close to his head and twitching fingers. It’s Liam. And he’s looking down into their fountain.

Zayn comes to a stop next to him, likely just in the range of his peripheral sight. Liam’s head turns and his eyes meet Zayn’s for just a second before they go wide. “Hey,” Zayn says. Liam looks around nervously and as soon as he moves to walk away, Zayn’s got a hand on his shoulder, which he eyes bashfully but doesn’t shrug off. “Can we just talk for a second?”

“I have nothing to talk to you about,” Liam tells him unconvincingly.

Zayn’s expected this, but he still wants to sigh. “Fine. That’s fine. I’m just gonna talk at you, then.” He waits for a reaction, gets silence. He drops his hand. Liam’s arms are crossed now, making him seem closed-off and unresponsive, but his sucked-in lips and big eyes reveal his curiosity. Zayn suppresses a smile despite the tension surrounding them. How is it that someone can switch so easily between being unbearably adorable and completely sexy?  He’s got his innocent face on now, but the line of his biceps peeking out from under his blue t-shirt remind Zayn of the confidence with which Liam had held him while their lips moved together.

“Go on then,” Liam finally utters.

“Okay. I get that you don’t like me. Or, at least you don’t like me as anything more than a friend. You’re totally allowed to decide that.” He takes a deep breath and licks his lips. “I just don’t get what it has to do with Danielle, though.”

Liam’s arms drop immediately. “Are you mad? It has everything to do with Danielle. And I can’t believe you just don’t care at all what you’re doing to her.” He looks genuinely mad.

“What I’m doing to her? Liam, I’m lost. I don’t get what’s going on here. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to spell it out for me. “

Liam gazes at Zayn in what appears to be complete disbelief.

“Liam,” Zayn pleads, “I like you. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed kissing someone as much in my life.”

“Yeah, me too, Zayn!” Liam snaps angrily, hand dragging across his forehead. When he next speaks, all the frustration has been drained from his voice and replaced with what Zayn guesses to be regret. “Too bad I had to be kissing my best friend’s boyfriend.”

Zayn’s jaw just drops. “Boyfriend?” he chokes. “You think _I’m_ Danielle’s boyfriend?”

“Aren’t you?” Liam demands, thrown off by Zayn’s surprise. “She told me she was dating someone, and then I run into you guys on your little ‘coffee date’…and you were holding hands at the party.” He rubs at his elbow self-consciously.

“Liam,” Zayn says, that same pleased smile sliding easily onto his face once more. “Liam.” He takes a step forward that eliminates much of the space between them.

“What?”  Liam breathes softly, eyes darting downward quickly and then back up.

“I am not and have never been anything close to dating Danielle. I thought _you_ were dating her.”

Liam gives an infinitesimal nod. “Oh.”

And Zayn knows that they’re out in the open on campus in the middle of the day, but anyone who cares that he’s now kissing Liam in public can promptly fuck off.

Their mouths fit together easily, in accordance with the way that Liam’s hands fit just right at the dip in Zayn’s lower back and Zayn’s fingers don’t overwhelm the back of Liam’s neck. And this time when Zayn lightly licks his way into Liam’s mouth, he’s open and willing, tongue flicking up to meet Zayn’s hotly. After a little while, the darker-haired boy pulls away and presses his forehead against Liam’s. When he opens his eyes, Liam’s eyes are trained on him, and they don’t retreat. He keeps them there, firm and sure.

Liam just won’t stop _looking_ at him. So Zayn does what anyone would do. He tackles Liam into the fountain.

When he comes up for air, Zayn thinks that the future memories he’ll make with Liam will be so much better than any he could’ve made in the past.

**Author's Note:**

> That's it. Yeah, that's it. So let me know how it was! Thanks for reading.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr! I'm at [harisbueller](http://www.harisbueller.tumblr.com/)


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